Ted Steinberg announces state representative bid

Friday

Feb 9, 2018 at 4:13 PMFeb 9, 2018 at 4:13 PM

Stefan Geller

Needham native Ted Steinberg announced last week that he will be challenging Denise Garlick for her seat as the state representative in the 13th Norfolk district. Steinberg, a former congressional aide and constituent caseworker, made the announcement at the 2018 caucus of the Needham Democratic Town Committee.

Steinberg said his reason for running for state representative is to push the envelope on democratic advocacy in Massachusetts, which he feels has been lagging behind in recent years.

“I’m seeing New York and California stand out as progressive beacons these days and it makes me think, ‘Where’s Massachusetts?’” he said.

Born and raised in Needham, the 23-year-old attended Connecticut College for two years before taking a break in schooling to work in constituent services under Pennsylvania State Rep. Brendan Boyle. He continued to work for Boyle during his 2014 congressional campaign and in the U.S. House of Representatives. Afterwards, Steinberg transferred to the University of Southern California and graduated in 2017 with a degree in public policy and a certificate in public administration. He currently works as an account manager at Yardi Systems, a real estate software company.

Steinberg said that transparency, environmental protection and criminal justice reform are going to be his primary focuses if he is elected.

He is pledging to publish his voting record with explanations for each decision he made; “I think we need to keep our elected officials accountable for all their votes. I don’t want people to ever wonder about where I stand on an issue.”

Steinberg said he will also work to protect voting rights and improve the transportation system, statewide education and the healthcare system.

He said that while he respects Garlick and the work she has done, he aims to be a more liberal candidate who is more active in the communities of Needham, Dover and Medfield.

“I have the utmost respect for Representative Garlick and I very much appreciate her service. She’s a dedicated public servant and she works really hard,” Steinberg said. “I’m here to present a progressive alternative and I intend to be much more of a democratic activist.”

Garlick was elected in 2010 and is up for her fourth reelection in September. She is the chairman for the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, which works to solve the opioid crisis that has spread across the state. Prior to 2010, she was the vice-chairman of the Board of Selectmen and chairman of the Board of Health.

“We don’t know much about [Steinberg] or his positions on the issues. My focus is on the issues and concerns of the people of the district and I’m doing this job every day,” Garlick said.

Steinberg said he believes his experience in local, state and federal government, as well as his upbringing in Needham and knowledge of life as a constituent in town, has prepared him for the role of state rep.

“All I can do is present an alternative for the voters and see what they think,” Steinberg said. “The more I learn about what people want out of their state, the more it motivates me to push for that further.”

Going forward, Steinberg will attend the Dover Democratic Caucus on Tuesday to drive up more support for his campaign.